Two and Two Together, Chapters 1 and 2
by uxorious
Summary: The story of Harm and Mac getting together continues with conversations and continued dates


Two and Two Together

_A/N: And so the story of Harm and Mac continues to unravel from 'First Date', but now we have Sturgis having a conversation with Harm. We are now just Monday after the weekend that began with Sturgis' conversation -- 'pep talk' with Mac the Friday evening prior (see 'Sense and Sensitivity')_

_A/N 2: I'm drawing this out into a couple chapters. As much as I love when stories are neatly completed in one 'episode', I also love reading chapters. I know I won't make my chapter story as interesting as the other authors who write such clever and intriguing continuing episodes, but I'll give it a try. Here goes:_

Chapter 1 – Clueless Commanders

JAG HQ, Monday morning

0741

Sturgis stood at the copy machine in the middle of the bullpen – an hour early to work today and a lone figure at the office, except for General Cresswell who was always sitting in his office, in full swing, as if he'd been there already for a couple hours. No one really bothered to come in early enough to ascertain exactly when DID the General get to JAG each day. Boy, having a Marine as the JAG sure set a different tone – sometimes it seemed as if this was a boot camp instead of an office of lawyers and their legal support staff.

The elevator door dinged. Out sauntered Commander Harmon Rabb, Jr., cover just off and now in hand, and whistling like a canary.

Sturgis (wide-eyed and astonished as he caught Harm heading toward his office): "Well, somebody got up earlier than usual this morning and is sounding awfully chipper today, to boot. What gives?"

Harm: "Well, top-of-the-morning to you, too, Sturgis and can't an officer who's very busy and wanting to start his week efficiently be allowed to do so without comments from the peanut gallery?!"

Sturgis: "C'mon, Harm – if you were a woman, I'd think you were pregnant!!! You're positively glowing! You're beaming!! You look rested and refreshed – a totally different man from the one who left here on Friday. Spill it – what put that smile on your face?!"

Harm(motioning to Sturgis to come into his office): "Alright, alright – shut the door." (Sturgis walks in and complies). "Sturgis – I've joined the club! I'm now one of you!" (Sturgis was now looking really puzzled). "I am officially DATING!!!" (Well, this was the LAST thing Sturgis thought Harm would come out with – Sturgis thought that maybe Harm went out to spend the weekend with his parents or that he went up to see his grandmother on her farm or that he had a great weekend with Mattie which involved lots of flying his beloved 'Sarah' – but DATING!!!! Oh my!!!!) 'Hey, could it be – did he and Mac talk over the weekend? Was it Mac he was 'dating'?' There was a nice and easy way to find out without being too direct --- Sturgis knew that Harm wouldn't appreciate being put on the spot about exactly WHO it was he was dating, so, instead Sturgis simply said; "Wow, buddy – 'dating' – since when?!"

Harm: "Since Friday evening….." (Sturgis was CRUSHED although he did his Navy best not to show it – Harm was DATING and it couldn't be Mac – she was here with HIM on Friday evening listening to his blasted 'pep talk' about how Harm was 'in love' with her, TOO – 'oh man oh man -- what on earth would he tell Mac – how could he have been so OFF about Harm's feelings for Mac – he HAD to get to Mac before old Romeo here did – speaking of old Romeo – he was STILL blabbing – this, TOO, was a first – Harm NEVER talks about his love life – time to sit up and listen – could Harm actually be serious about this new flame?!')….And I gotta tell you, Sturgis, this woman is DEFINITELY 'IT' for me. She's gorgeous, she's funny ('definitely NOT Mac', Sturgis thought – well Mac was funny, but not with Harm!), she's smart, and she GETS me, Sturg (Sturgis continues his thoughts –'oh, no, not Mac, no, no, not Mac!' She thinks Harm's an enigma), I can TALK with her – openly – communicate! (Sturgis continues in his thoughts –'nope, Mac – NOT!!!!' Rabb's always putting his foot in his mouth with Mac and Mac can't communicate to Harm without glaring, sniping, and snarking) – for the first time, I don't feel like I have to walk on eggshells when I'm with a woman ('Yep – that wraps it up! We are NOT talking Mac here -- eggshells and Mac and Harm are a given? Well, I'm VASTLY upset and disappointed, but somehow I have to come off happy for my buddy here – well, Sturgis, you fool – put in your best award-winning performance' – Sturgis thought again to himself)

Sturgis(doing his best, but unconvincingly stated): "I'm happy for you, Harm. Some evening you and your girl will have to join me at the jazz club to catch Varese's new act. It'll give us all a chance to get to know one another better. Well, I mean, you and I know each other well (at least I THOUGHT I did), but it'll be nice for the ladies to get to know each other and will give us time to relax and chill outside the office (and for me to see what's going on in that thick skull of yours!)."

Harm (a little perplexed about Sturgis' subtle hesitant demeanor, but letting it go because now was not the place or time to delve deeply into a conversation about their private lives – Harm WAS beaming, though, as he thought about his unbelievably romantic weekend with Mac – he just had to say SOMETHING to Sturgis or he'd BURST!): "Hey, maybe we'll take you up on that sometime real soon. Isn't it great, buddy – both you and me finally getting it together with our special someones!"

Sturgis (still hesitant, but certainly not because of him and Varese)): "Oh, er…ah…uh—yeah – it's the best. (Feeling a bit brave and just wondering if Harm was thinking AT ALL about Mac's feelings in all this and if he, himself, was AT ALL justified in ANY way when he blabbed on to Mac how Harm was 'in love' with her) "Hey, Harm – did you tell Mac you were dating someone?"

Harm: "No, I don't NEED to tell Mac anything!"

Sturgis (now feeling like a complete heel and really feeling sad for Mac already):" C'mon, Harm – she's a good friend of yours – even your best friend – right?! You need to let her know!"

Harm: "You're absolutely right – Mac IS my best friend, but, Sturgis – she already KNOWS I'm dating – in fact, it was Mac who first brought up that I needed to start dating!!! She's happy about it – in fact, I THINK she's REALLY happy about it!!"

Sturgis: "Well, I sure hope so – Mac's a fine lady and if she's ok about it, I guess it's a good thing! Hey, we best get ready for staff call"

At this point, Sturgis was thinking how CLUELESS Harm was if he swallowed Mac's stiff upper lip and feigned 'exhuberance' over Harm's dating!!! As a matter of fact, 'IF Harm was that clueless – perhaps it WAS best that Mac DID find someone else – someone more in tune with her – someone who would also see HER as a gorgeous, smart, funny, and easy-to-be-with, loveable woman! Sure, she'd be hurt over Harm, but, in the end, she'd be better off – boy what a buffoon his buddy was – hate to say it. But, I'd better find Mac anyway, to tell her before old Romeo here blurted it out – Where WAS Mac anyway ?– it was almost 0830!!!'

As soon as Sturgis opened Harm's door, Jen almost bumped into him saying: "Commanders Rabb and Turner – staff call in 2 minutes – the General would like you to be prompt today!"

As Sturgis and Harm walked together to the conference room, Mac caught up with them from behind. Sturgis saw her and immediately wanted to say something to her about having a quick word right after the staff meeting, but now, with a concerned voice, just had time to say. "Hi Mac – everything okay with you this morning?"

Harm was touched at Sturgis' concern for Mac's feelings. Sturgis was acting as if he thought Mac would be upset if she thought he was dating a NEW woman. Had Mac confided in Sturgis about her feelings for him??? They did seem very friendly and perhaps she did.

Mac must be super special as Sturgis was a very hard man to impress and get close to and that little Marine of his wormed her way into Sturgis' heart. Harm wanted to tell Sturgis that it was Mac that he was dating, but he and Mac had agreed not to tell anyone at JAG just yet Eventually, it would all come out, but not just yet.

Mac(looking first to Harm and saying rather coolly): "Commander"

Harm(just as cool): "Colonel"

Sturgis inwardly groaned to himself, thinking: 'Definitely NOT Mac!!'

Mac (now to Sturgis): "Yes, Sturgis, I'm really well, thank you. I'll catch up with you later (and then she quickly added in a low voice), but, again, thanks for Friday evening – it helped more than you know"

Sturgis groaned to himself double-time at that comment!

TBC

Chapter 2 -- Keepin' Busy

General Cresswell(stern and taking not a second extra for niceties): "Good morning, ladies and gentlemen – we have a busy week ahead and let's get right to assignments, starting with central ops assignments and finishing with two unavoidable TADs that I HOPE will be a whole lot MORE 'T' than intended as my two star senior attorneys will be handling them – meaning they will be wrapped up ASAP with a huge emphasis on the 'S' to get the job done quick and efficiently, but with excellence -- befitting the expertise and finesse corresponding with the 'S' as in Senior officers! (saying as he glared at Harm and then Mac)" He proceeded to go around the table first to Mayfield, next Mattoni, then Bud Roberts, then Sturgis. While he was droning away to these officers and dealing with their questions, and engaging in mundane discussions over the cases, Harm was 'engaging' in some 'important' activity of his own……Mac-watching!!!

Mac was intently listening to all that the General was saying and occasionally, but selectively, participating in questions and discussions on the other officers cases, even though she wouldn't be directly involved. She was still Chief of Staff and took pride in keeping herself informed and on top of all JAG activities.

Harm, on the other hand, was intently focused on Mac – her lips, her skin, her beautiful eyes flickering and full of life and keenly interested in everything around her – except his rapture with her, at this point in the day. In fact, she would be mortified at his inappropriateness – he chuckled to himself at that thought. Gazing at her, he mused to himself: 'Ahh – so poised, so professional --who would've ever thought – hard-nosed, no-nonsense jarhead by day – cuddly cutie by night!' He was thinking about how they 'nuzzled' a bit in her car after they walked back from having their pizza on Friday night – what a joy it was to just rest his lips on her neck and take in the scent of her hair and skin – of her – finally – up close! He smirked as he thought how he followed her home just to be sure, at that late hour, she would be safe – even though she could karate- chop any would-be mugger or attacker to kingdom come. Of course, she caught on that he just wanted another excuse for the big good-night kiss. He inwardly reveled in laughter as he recalled THEIR uncontrollable laughter as they did their laundry and ironing together on Saturday -- Mac had illustrated her vast repertoire of funny faces to him and he walked around with his starched boxers on his head the whole time. Mac had teased him relentlessly about how ridiculous she found it that he actually ironed his boxers WITH starch-spray – she kept calling him 'Boxer Rabb-it' as he chased her, his 'Energizer Bunny', all through her apartment. Being able to be so silly together was such a welcome surprise to him. But there were serious moments to their Saturday and then, Sunday, too, together. As Cresswell continued to twitter on, Harm remained lost in his flashbacks, wistfully recalling……

_Flashback, Saturday evening_

…_.the look on her face as she opened the door as he presented her with a huge bunch of daisies and a box of fine chocolate truffles. After they finished their laundry and grocery shopping together, he insisted on going home and then coming back to pick her up for a "proper date". Harm had made sure they ate very light the whole day as he had made reservations for that evening for the new fine Italian restaurant that opened up in Georgetown. He looked dashing in his brown dress suit and black turtleneck. Mac was breathtaking in her simple, yet elegant mocha-colored and black wrap dress with slick black boots. They couldn't believe how they coordinated without even consulting one another. Actually, after a perfect evening together of scrumptious food, funny stories of their past escapades, heart-rendering discussions of some of the horrors and sorrows they had endured – both alone and when together -- when they gazed into each others eyes at the end of the evening and then just at the moment after they enjoyed one of the most intense, passionate kisses either one of them had ever experienced – with anyone else or with one another – they knew – again, they just KNEW – it was no small coincidence – it was kismet – pure and simple -- they were each other's destiny._

TBC – A/N – Sorry, folks, I have to finish here for now – I had intended to flashback the whole meeting, followed by the finish of Harm's daydream across the conference table from Mac and then finishing the chapter with them departing for their assignments, but that will have to go into Chapter 3 – RL is calling me – I promise, I'll be back soon!


End file.
